Close To A Championship?

[*jason*]

(09-21-2017, 04:52 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: In that game...we did nothing for about 45 minutes...remember totally couldn't score. The Steelers had a backup RB shred us.

But, the meltdown started before the game. We were in the drivers seat for the #1 seed in the AFC and couldn't win a game to get that.

No. We would never have beat NE in NE. We would not have beat Denver in Denver. No way.

Then, after we beat NE or Denver...we would have had to face the other.

If I recall, the Bengals were a Mike Nugent missed FG away from beating Denver on the road, in primetime, with a backup QB.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Here's the thing though,

If Dalton never broke his thumb, the Bengals would have ended up with that number one seed and the Bengals would have been playing the Panthers in the Super Bowl.

But he did break his thumb and here we fans sit wondering about what could have been just like in 2005.

[*PhilHos*]

(09-21-2017, 05:34 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Here's the thing though,

If Dalton never broke his thumb, the Bengals would have ended up with that number one seed and the Bengals would have been playing the Panthers in the Super Bowl.

But he did break his thumb and here we fans sit wondering about what could have been just like in 2005.

I guess we now know the key to when we're Super Bowl bound. When our starting QB gets injured and will miss the playoffs, you now know we were heading to the Super Bowl. 

 

[THE PISTONS]

(09-21-2017, 05:04 PM)jason Wrote: If I recall, the Bengals were a Mike Nugent missed FG away from beating Denver on the road, in primetime, with a backup QB.

Woulda coulda shoulda...but they DIDN'T beat Denver. That's what it boils down to just like they DIDN'T beat Pittsburgh either.

You can play hypotheticals with this franchise all day. They just DON'T WIN in big games.

[*Awful Llama*]

(09-21-2017, 11:47 AM)thillan Wrote: The 2015 playoff game against the Steelers is easily the most painful loss I've ever watched. 

SB XXIII: "Hold my beer."



Granted I was not at SB XXIII, just watching it on tv, but the dry heaves afterward were every bit as real. 

I've seen four playoffs games at PBS, and in them I've seen our QB's knee shredded on the second offensive play, an historic meltdown of biblical proportions in the last 1:30, a game gift-wrapped to SD, and a slow strangling by Mark ***** Sanchez and the Jets while we all froze our balls off.  Guess the Jets game was the most palatable of the group, and Carson's injury the worst.  But, yeah, this last one was a gut punch on a dark night in a cold rain.  

[THE PISTONS]

We started 8-0 that year and finished 4-4 too losing to all the good teams we played.

Only on a Bengals board can losing a QB who never won a playoff game count as a Super Bowl win had he stayed healthy.

No way. He couldn't even beat a 6th Seed San Diego Team that snuck into the playoffs.

[*jason*]

(09-21-2017, 08:40 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Woulda coulda shoulda...but they DIDN'T beat Denver. That's what it boils down to just like they DIDN'T beat Pittsburgh either.

You can play hypotheticals with this franchise all day. They just DON'T WIN in big games.

Wasn't playing hypothetical. Just pointing out that it's absurd to dismiss the possibility outright. The game I referred to had every one of the variables that we claim are this team's weaknesses... A missed FG from a scrub kicker was the difference in that game. Insert MVP caliber season Dalton into that mix, it's a different game.

[*jason*]

(09-21-2017, 09:16 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: SB XXIII: "Hold my beer."



Granted I was not at SB XXIII, just watching it on tv, but the dry heaves afterward were every bit as real. 

I've seen four playoffs games at PBS, and in them I've seen our QB's knee shredded on the second offensive play, an historic meltdown of biblical proportions in the last 1:30, a game gift-wrapped to SD, and a slow strangling by Mark ***** Sanchez and the Jets while we all froze our balls off.  Guess the Jets game was the most palatable of the group, and Carson's injury the worst.  But, yeah, this last one was a gut punch on a dark night in a cold rain.  

That Jets game was cold as a ***** huh?. I remember my beer turning to slush instantly.

[grampahol]

I would go into my whole rant and song and dance about how I think these little" coincidences" happen and it's not coaching, player error or because the Squeelers and the Pattycakes are better teams.
Someone somewhere somehow was either purchased, compromised or coerced along with league employees (the zebra department) to tip the scales. The scales weren't just tipped, but overweighed with the weight of several steam locomotives and 100 freight cars to tell us tough luck, but you, Bengals fans are rooting for the equivalent of the Washington Generals in the playoffs against the Globe Trotters and just don't know it.. ..
Ok, so I did do the song and dance routine after all.. It's what I do..  
Isn't it just a little odd that the league can after review several days later say, "OOPS! Our bad. That or those calls should have gone your way and you should have won the game, but tough shit. We're gifting the wins to our favorite teams and there's nothing you can do about it!"
Teams can outright cheat all season long and even get caught at it, but the worst thing that will happen is "somebody"  will get suspended a few games, but otherwise still get their trophy despite cheating and getting caught.. The only instance that was any different was the head hunter "scandal"  against New Orleans, but had the league favorites been caught, NE AND Shitzburg it would have all just been washed away and trophies still awarded..
Think about it a moment and tell us the downside if the Bengals decide to start outright cheating. Excluded from the playoffs? HAHAHAHA! AS IF that's a problem..

[Atomic Orange]

(09-21-2017, 02:05 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Arguably the two best teams in the Marvin Lewis era were 2005 and 2015.
Coincidence that both QBs suffer critical injuries so late in the season (to the Steelers no less) to affect playoff success? I THINK NOT!

The league does not want the Bengals to win.

*This will make a great "caption this photo" thread come Stoolers week. 

[*Go Cards*]

Was a brutal loss and as hard of one to swallow as i can ever recall.

There was a lot of quietness on that sick to my stomach ride home from 4 diehard fans.

[THE PISTONS]

We're something like 7-19 against the Steelers since Marvin has been here.

It's not a coincidence that they beat us in the Playoffs.

[*SHRacerX*]

(09-21-2017, 11:56 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: Well it was the REFs that f'd us over that game....

Hill was down by contact.

Gios fumble was on a illegal hit

Bryant did not get both feet down for a TD..

they were screwing us from the onset.


of course if the offense had done ANYTHING the first 45 minutes of the game   that last drive would have been irrelavent

All true, but they weren't going to win the big one with McCarron.  If Dalton could have made it back the next week, but I doubt that would have happened as well.  

[*ochocincos*]

Maybe not championship-caliber, but after watching the Rams last night on TNF, it's really eye opening to see how much better a team can improve with an offensive minded HC. It also helps that they went out and got Watkins, Woods, and Whitworth, but that team wouldn't be turning out 41 points with Marvin Lewis as HC. They didn't need a top-5 TE to do their damage. They did it with a stud WR and RB and a solid WR2.

The Bengals already have the WRs.
Green is a better Watkins. LaFell has been a more productive Robert Woods. Boyd is a solid slot option like Cooper Cupp. Tavon Austin is someone that John Ross should be at minimum.
The Bengals also already have the RBs.

The Bengals' glaring weakness is obviously the offense, and I really hope the Bengals FO is smart enough to see what Sean McVay has brought to the Rams or what Jon Gruden brought to the Buccaneers and then look to do the same for Cincinnati.
And hopefully if that's done, that new offensive minded HC will put an emphasis on bringing in 1-2 stud OL and immediately make the Bengals contenders in 2018.

[THE PISTONS]

(09-22-2017, 09:39 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Maybe not championship-caliber, but after watching the Rams last night on TNF, it's really eye opening to see how much better a team can improve with an offensive minded HC. It also helps that they went out and got Watkins, Woods, and Whitworth, but that team wouldn't be turning out 41 points with Marvin Lewis as HC. They didn't need a top-5 TE to do their damage. They did it with a stud WR and RB and a solid WR2.

The Bengals already have the WRs.
Green is a better Watkins. LaFell has been a more productive Robert Woods. Boyd is a solid slot option like Cooper Cupp. Tavon Austin is someone that John Ross should be at minimum.
The Bengals also already have the RBs.

The Bengals' glaring weakness is obviously the offense, and I really hope the Bengals GO is smart enough to see what Sean McVay has brought to the Rams or what Jon Gruden brought to the Buccaneers and then look to do the same for Cincinnati.
And hopefully if that's done, that new offensive minded HC will put an emphasis on bringing in 1-2 stud OL and immediately make the Bengals contenders in 2018.

It is an offensive league. And having good coordinators go a long way. If you have a defensive minded HC...then you better have a good OC.

[thillan]

I'm a bit surprised by some of these responses to be honest. I really think that this team could hold it's own against anyone. If Dalton didn't get hurt, I would not have been surprised by a deep playoff run.

Also, I see some comments about refs tipping the scales.. while I agree that the Bengals often seem to get the short end of the stick, Burfict and Jones undoubtedly let their emotions ruin that game for us. The defense still had the chance to hold the W for us.

Also wanted to note: Obviously the big mistake I made here was that I thought Dalton's return was coming soon. Not having him there definitely hurt.

[THE PISTONS]

(09-22-2017, 12:07 PM)thillan Wrote: I'm a bit surprised by some of these responses to be honest. I really think that this team could hold it's own against anyone. If Dalton didn't get hurt, I would not have been surprised by a deep playoff run.

Also, I see some comments about refs tipping the scales.. while I agree that the Bengals often seem to get the short end of the stick, Burfict and Jones undoubtedly let their emotions ruin that game for us. The defense still had the chance to hold the W for us.

Also wanted to note: Obviously the big mistake I made here was that I thought Dalton's return was coming soon. Not having him there definitely hurt.

Leveon Bell was hurt for the Steelers too...and we lost.

We had a lead late and fumbled it away.

Then we had 2 personal fouls.

Do you think we would have just blew the Steelers out with Dalton by so much that the fumble didn't matter?

The point is we got it to a point where we had the game won and still lost. The Bengals find ways to lose. With Dalton...maybe he throws 2 pick 6's. It's always something.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(09-21-2017, 11:15 PM)jason Wrote: That Jets game was cold as a ***** huh?. I remember my beer turning to slush instantly.

That's why we packed in flasks.

[*jason*]

(09-22-2017, 01:46 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: That's why we packed in flasks.

I remember tying my Playoffs towel around my face outlaw style to shield me from the wind.

[leonardfan40]

(09-22-2017, 02:02 PM)jason Wrote: I remember tying my Playoffs towel around my face outlaw style to shield me from the wind.

I remember being seriously concerned about losing a couple toes. Took a good three hours to get my feeling back in my feet. Also had the displeasure of watching the pathetic Chargers game in person, I woulda cleaned house after that one....came very close to buying last minute tickets the night before the Steelers game too. With just a couple mins left I was kicking myself for missing our first playoff win in 2 decades lol a few minutes later that feeling changed drastically